Having been a patient on and off since 1991, the level of care has always been outstanding. However, it is Colleen Roman who consistently makes every session I attend simply remarkable. Colleen is a true professional who absolutely puts her heart and soul into her profession, and it shows. Colleen is extremely passionate about seeing us improve as patients and succeed. She is constantly researching and seeking ways to upgrade our experience. I have rarely seen anyone as passionate about what they do as Colleen.
As a patient, I truly feel comfortable sharing anything with Colleen, knowing she is patient and understanding. She combines her professional knowledge with her own personal experiences which we all find comforting. Colleen recognizes that all of us are in this program due to cardiac issues. As a retired law enforcement executive with the Chicago Police Department, I expect to be treated as an adult, not as a child as some medical professionals attempt to do. Colleen talks and shares with us in a way that we all appreciate. She always takes time to listen to us with the goal of making certain our needs are met. Colleen epitomizes how an empathetic person should be.
Colleen is like a trusted member of our families. She knows our spouses' names, how many children and grandchildren we have and is genuinely interested in our lives, especially in the context of how outside influences may impact our health. I have shared a number of health concerns with Colleen and have every confidence that she will not share these concerns with anyone else unless she asks our permission first. Colleen often discusses HIPPA regulations and abides by them. We all joke at times how "Square" she is, but she is simply protecting our rights which makes us trust her even more.
Colleen not only displays but lives the attributes I expected (but did not always find) from the police officers under my command. Attributes such as compassion, empathy, professionalism, caring, and honesty. Colleen has all these attributes and more. She is simply an outstanding human being.
I truly believe that Colleen is one of those individuals who would do her job for free, but please don't stop paying her! Her enthusiasm is infectious. It should be very apparent to anyone who watches her work that she truly loves what she does. If she gets frustrated at all, it's always with some issues that may impact her patients, such as aging equipment or computer issues. Colleen maintains a wonderful attitude and is consistently looking for ways to improve the program. In my experience, only someone who truly loves what they do displays these qualities as Colleen does.
Colleen is always available to take a phone call or make time for a personal visit when the need arises. She has continually put her patients' needs before her own. Over the years, I have seen her change vacations because a new patient joined our program and she wanted to be there for the patient. When there were two nurses in this program, Colleen was able to spend more time with each patient. Now that she is alone in our program, she still spends as much time with each patient without sacrificing patient safety or our health, both of which are her primary concerns.